Penny Lane Cafe | Photo by Jessica Fugett | The Wright State Guardian
Penny Lane Art Gallery and Cafe’s target market reaches beyond coffee lovers. The walls of the cafe are lined with art for sale to the public.
Art & coffee, a duo
“The owner also owns another company called Penny Lane Publishing which is why we have all this artwork,” said Manager Ally Fourman. “They didn’t even start this place to even be a cafe originally. They were just going to sell art and then it sort of snowballed into this.”
Fourman has worked at the cafe for over four years, starting off as a part-time employee.
“People don’t realize how much art we actually have in here and how many prints we have. Usually, people are coming here to meet a friend or for lunch and they see how much we have in here,” said Fourman.
The atmosphere in the cafe offers a relaxed ambiance, proving a peaceful place to admire the art or enjoy a cup of coffee.
“Most of our business is from regulars. We pretty much know everyone who comes here,” said Fourman.
According to Fourman, all of the art is printed by Penny Lane Publishing from artists from all over the country, including local talent.
A meal inspired by artists
Penny Lane’s menu is inspired by art as well – the menu items are named after famous artists.
“A lot of the menu is based around trying to use fresh ingredients and bringing a different kind of cuisine to the area. We try to use a lot of local ingredients,” said Fourman. “Just bringing a fresher alternative to this area as well as creative stuff and utilizing artists’ names.”
Popular menu items include sandwiches named after Van Gogh and Georgia O’Keeffe, according to Fourman.
According to the menu, the Van Gogh is a smoked turkey and swiss sandwich with strawberry, honey-dill mayo and lettuce on multigrain bread. The Georgia O’Keeffe is a smoked turkey with pepper jack cheese sandwich with avocado and chipotle mayo, making it a spicier option.
“Everyone in management as well as our owner, they’re very concerned with us. They’re very personable,” said employee Abbey Perkins.
Perkins is a senior at Wittenberg University and has worked at Penny Lane for over a year.
“It’s really great because everyone on staff here is really awesome and really easy to work with. The commute is long but this job is worth it to me,” said Perkins.
Want to go?
Penny Lane Art Gallery and Cafe is located at 109 S Main Street, New Carlisle, Ohio.
